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More on Accessing Your Desktop

Set up the client: Keep the remote system on while you set up the client computer (you can turn the remote PC's monitor off, of course). If the client computer is running a version of Windows other than XP Professional or Home, you have to install some files onto the client from your Windows XP CD, so bring the disc with you. Insert the disc, and when the Welcome screen appears, click Perform additional tasks. In the next screen, click Set up Remote Desktop Connection. Follow the prompts on screen to complete the installation.

Climb the firewall: In many cases, establishing remote connections involves using a virtual private network to access a computer that sits behind a corporate firewall. If you're connecting to a company computer, contact your IS department or network administrator to find the approved means of making this connection. (See "Virtual Private Network" for an overview of virtual private networking.) If you're connecting two privately owned, firewall-protected computers that are on the same network, you may need to consult the documentation for your router, gateway, or firewall (or the vendor's Web site) to learn how to get through the firewall and connect to the remote PC.

Log in remotely: Once you've established a connection via your modem, network, or VPN, choose Start, Programs (or All Programs), Accessories, Communications, Remote Desktop Connection. Type the name of the remote computer, and click Connect (see FIGURE 2). You'll see the log-in dialog box of the remote XP computer. After you log in, the remote computer will lock, preventing anyone at that location from using the machine without the account name and password. If you log into an account on the remote machine other than the one currently running, you'll receive a warning that a different account is already logged in. If you click 'Yes' to proceed, a message will appear on the remote PC asking whether the connection should be allowed. If the remote machine user clicks 'No', you won't be able to continue. If no one is at the remote machine, the prompt will disappear after several seconds, and you can log in.

If at first you don't succeed... If the client computer couldn't find the remote computer by using the name you typed in, enter the remote PC's IP address (the one you wrote down when you set up the remote system). If that doesn't work, consult your IS department or check other resources mentioned previously. Also, the next time you are at a machine running XP Pro, you can get additional information by choosing Start, Help and Support, typing Troubleshooting Remote Desktop in the Search box, and pressing Enter to see a list of topics based on the type of error message you receive (see FIGURE 3).